I adore books that incorporate food and then even better when the recipes are in the novel. This is what Ms. Santos has done with a Taste of Sage. Lumi is a wonderful character who chases her own dreams despite her mother warning her otherwise. Julien is a successful chef but with a hard shell until he hires Lumi as his Sous Chef. It’s no doubt that they will end up together but it’s the journey.

I wish that the author had infused more magical realism into the book because I think would have made the book that much better.

I really enjoyed A Taste of Sage. The characters were really well written and the plot kept me interested. I thought the writing was also really well done. I also loved all the cooking. It made me feel like I was right in the middle of Bravos Top Chef!

I would love to read more from this author!

Chef meets chef, fall in love, & live happily ever after--what could be better than that? This is a rom com with Dominican roots that sadly did not translate into as much richness as I hoped. It blends magical realism, tragedy & romance, but ultimately l wanted more from it. I liked Lumi and the other main character, Julien grew on me as well. I felt like the flow of this book was off--it bounced forward in time so quickly and the recipes were interspersed at weird points. Perhaps if I read it as a physical book instead of an eBook, maybe it would have been clearer. Even though parts of it did not work for me, I read it in one day.

Despite not getting out as much as I hoped, I do look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I hope in her next book she is willing to explore her Dominican roots further so it translates more fully into the story and does not feel as just a small part of it.

A TASTE OF SAGE is a heartwarming debut romance perfect for anyone who loves a good culinary romance. Fans of Sonali Dev will love this tasty treat.

I finished A Taste of Sage yesterday and it was such a fun romance! After reading some serious books this was just what I needed!
Lumi is a chef that has a special talent. When she tastes food she can feel the cook’s emotions while they were cooking. She’s also down on her luck and needs a job quickly. She gets a job as a sous chef for the not so likeable Julien, the owner of a French restaurant in NYC. What happens after she starts working at the restaurant really surprised me, and I didn’t see it coming.
Overall, this was a good book, especially if you are a foodie! It also includes some of the recipes that are mentioned in the story! I was very hungry while reading it, and it made me pull out some of my cooking books. Dinner has been amazing lately.

Lumi Santana is crushed when she loses her restaurant. Now, with debt piling up and no other choice, she has to take a job working with a man who infuriates her to no end! What's more, Lumi's ability (curse) of tasting a cook's emotions in their food, means she will never, ever touch a dish made by the man.

Julien Dax is known for his strict French cooking and his command of his kitchen. But when he hires Lumi as his sous chef, he finds that her tendency to ad lib recipes at will is charming. As time goes by, he finds himself falling for the strong willed chef, willing to do whatever it takes to win her over.

But Lumi has so many reasons to resist. Her main reason: men cannot be trusted! The job is a means to an end, paying off her debt and saving to start a new restaurant venture. And no matter how much she finds herself warming to him, she vows never to become involved! Unfortunately for Lumi, Julien's own talents are a bit harder to resist and she finds herself, in spite of everything, secretly sampling his cooking. What she discovers surprises her to no end! But will her growing taste for his dishes lead to something more or will Lumi find once again that falling for, and relying on, a man will lead to disaster?

If you're looking for a lighter read, you cannot go wrong with Yaffa S. Santos's debut!

Lumi is a strong-willed Dominican chef intent on sharing her culture and her passion for food with everyone around her. And she does that through her restaurant, Caraluna. But Lumi's regulars aren't enough to keep her restaurant going and, unfortunately, she eventually has to give up the business.

Meanwhile, Julien Dax has lost yet another sous chef. He's bossy and particular and not one to let even the smallest slight go.

Sadly, Lumi's first run in with Julien is not a pleasant one and when she applies, and gets an interview, for a sous chef position a friend alerts her to and discovers it's working for Julien, she's definitely not going to take it! But, the need for an influx of cash is too much and Julien convinces her to give it a try.

The two chefs are both stubborn in their own right. And they both have baggage galore! Add to that Lumi's synesthesia, which allows her to taste a cook's emotions, and you have a recipe for a tantalizingly steamy read!

A Taste of Sage reminded me just a bit of the Sarah Michelle Gellar film, Simply Irresistible, where people can taste her emotions in the foods she cooks. This is the opposite and it's kind of a plague for Lumi. Most of the time, unless she's cooking for herself, she limits herself to processed foods so that she doesn't have to worry about any nasty emotions seeping into the flavors of the meals she eats. But when she really trusts someone, she does let them cook for her. Considering the fact that cooking for someone can be quite an intimate act, and this is a rom com about two chefs, it adds an interesting flavor to the book.

A Taste of Sage is a sweet read with just the right amount of drama, steam, and food. Oh, and there are recipes too!

A Taste of Sage is the hopeful romance novel we all need right now
affa S. Santos combines food and romance to create a captivating story filled with lessons, love, and trust. And then there’s the twist.
Admittedly, romance is not my go-to genre when I’m searching for a book. But as a former student of food, and having graduated with a lifelong appreciation for it as a result, the possibility of a narrative revolving around potential romance in the culinary scene sold me before I even started reading. And I was not disappointed.

There are a lot of romance titles out there, but it’s the most creative of the bunch that stand out. Santos’ story could have been a simple will they/won’t they between an infamous restaurant owner and his sous-chef.

But instead, as a writer, she did what all good chefs do: She took an otherwise simple, generic recipe, added a surprise ingredient, and created something completely new.
Lumi and Julien work on two opposite ends of the culinary spectrum. Julien’s three-star restaurant is always filled to capacity and never fails to serve its promised traditional French cuisine. Lumi prefers to operate her establishment a little differently, serving what she’s in the mood to cook to a small crowd that simply can’t get enough of her creative offerings.

Her passion for fusion Dominican cuisine isn’t enough to sustain a New York City restaurant, however. She soon finds herself working as a sous-chef in the kitchen of Julien Dax, who allows no creative freedom among his staff whatsoever.

The longer Lumi works under his command, however, the more relaxed his culinary restrictions become … and the more the two chefs gravitate toward one another. But that’s only one layer of the story.

It turns out Lumi’s emotional connection to food goes beyond the typical reaction to a delicious meal. And it could end up causing her more pain than pleasure if she isn’t careful.

On a deeper level, this story offers a unique commentary on the important role food plays in our everyday lives. We often turn to food when we have a reason to celebrate, as well as when we find ourselves with a reason to grieve.

Sometimes, when the overwhelming sights, smells, and flavors of food become too much to bear, we turn away from them — the familiar human source of comfort becomes a burden instead of a delight.

But it’s the people we experience food with in all its stages of preparation that create the memories we hold with us for many years. Some of these memories are worth forgetting. But many of them are worth saving.

The only thing I’ll spoil in this review is that you’ll make it to the last page feeling hopeful — something we all need right now. Not all happy endings are as predictable as you might think. Sometimes it takes some sharp twists and turns before two people can find a way to prove to themselves they belong together.

As an added bonus, if you like recipes and have been looking for more things to cook at home, there are at least a dozen of them sprinkled throughout this book between various chapters.

If you’re in the mood for a good love story that also leaves you craving delicious food with the turn of almost every page, this is definitely the book for you.

There's fun and romance in this clever book about a chef who can feel the emotions of the person who cooked the food. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't memorable. What would have been memorable is if Lumi had hit her jerk of a boss over the head with a frying pan.

I DNF around the 50% mark. I just don't feel like the romance was believable. The main love interest was just so snobby right off the back and I didn't understand the appeal. I did enjoy the concept of two individuals who are chef falling in love over their passion with food but this just missed the mark for me and I just didn't feel encouraged to continue on.
I didn't necessarily love the writing either. It felt a bit disconnected from the flow of each scene of the story. I will look forward to Yaffa Santos other novels as I will always try to support my fellow Latina but I don't necessarily recommend this story.

I didn't like it. I don't understand why the characters liked each other. They both felt very one dimensional. The writing felt very disjointed and choppy and it was difficult to understand the motivation behind each character's actions to the point where it was just down right frustrating. I got to the 50% point and basically skimmed the rest of the book from there because I just couldn't take it anymore but I wanted to see how it all played out. It just did not work for me at all. 2 out of 5 wine glasses.

These characters were not working for me sadly. I have put the book down and do not plan to continue reading this particular title.

a cute, fun read! I thought the concept was good and something I hadn't initially thought to like, so I'm glad I got to read it!

A delightful romcom that will dazzle the senses! I love the Dominican MC and how the author showed how important food is in her culture! I also love the bad boy-type of LI - he is pretentious, kind of arrogant, and utterly irresistible. Highly recommend!

Loved this! It's an easy sweet romance, everything ends up resolved and comfortable, but some days that's what you really need. Well worth the time.

A fun read. The characters were a little under developed but the storyline moved at a quick pace (sometimes too quick) that had you rooting for their happy ever after.

This might be a case of too-close-to-home, but I had a hard time believing that this 3-Star Asshole would become someone I wanted to have a Happily Ever After. I was a restaurant manager and.... ugh, he is so very much like the assholes who made my staff cry.

Loved the heroine, loathed the hero. She deserves better.

DNF @ 40%

This book was so fun! I loved Julien and Lumi and found everything about their relationship to be enjoyable. I definitely recommend this one!

This was an adorable novel! the main characters had great chemistry, and the secondary characters added some great texture to the plot.

I could not get through this book. I found it hard to read from page one. I was so bored with t, I could not even finish it.

I wanted to love this but the writing style was uncomfortable — something about it kept the characters two-dimensional. After checking other reviews, I decided it just wasn’t the book for me.